ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATIONS IN SURFICIAL WATER OF SILVER RIVER, SOUTHERN IJAW, BAYELSA STATE, NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA

Water samples were collected from three different locations along the Silver River, Bayelsa State and were analyzed for the concentrations of selected heavy metals. This was done with the aim to determine if the concentrations of the metals exceeded the minimum requirement for drinking water by WHO. The result showed that the examined metals; cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (N), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and mercury (Hg) concentrations were between 0.714±0.131-2.414±0.648, 1.742±0.214-3.812±1.136, 1.694±0.331-3.725±1.203, 0.443±0.06-2.717±0.782, 2.171±0.520-3.691±0.669, 5.167±2.063-8.239±2.411, 2.891±0.897-4.489±1.093, 0.349±0.062-2.891±1.033 and 0.0011±0.00-0.0024±0.00 mg/L respectively. All the values observed for the individual heavy metals except Hg were higher than the WHO value for domestic water. The contamination factor index analyzed from the concentrations of the heavy metals showed different degrees or levels of contamination – pollution of the water by the individual metals examined. Therefore, the water is not good for human consumption. The government should make practicable efforts to stop the input sources of these metals into the Silver River water body.